Vadodara, Jan 19 (IANS) Gujarat Giants skipper Ashleigh Gardner was disappointed with their 61-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and rued missed chances and dropped catches as the difference, while stressing that the team must regroup quickly and win their remaining two games despite the growing frustration.
Sayali Satghare’s impressive three-wicket burst, along with a strong batting performance led by Gautami Naik (73), propelled RCB to their sixth straight victory in WPL history and entered the playoffs of the 2026 season.
“It’s pretty frustrating. I’m not going to lie here. When you drop catches, and they go on to score runs. It’s those small moments that we are not winning at the moment. We have to win the last two games. But it’s frustrating. You have to fight. You have to keep the stumps in play as much as possible. If you saw our wickets, we tried to go across the line. Keeping the stumps in play was the best option. Going down the ground was the best option. There are plenty of learnings, which is a positive, but standing here after the loss is not good,” said Gardner after the match.
Asked to bat first, RCB had another shaky start. Renuka Singh Thakur struck in the opening over, dismissing Grace Harris for 1. Kashvee Gautam followed by removing Georgia Voll in the next over, putting RCB on the back foot early. Skipper Smriti Mandhana then joined Gautami Naik. The pair focused on rebuilding and guided RCB to 37/2 at the end of the powerplay. Mandhana and Naik formed an important 60-run partnership off 45 balls for the third wicket.
Gardner conceded that she did not anticipate such a knock from Gautami Naik, but underlined the depth of Indian domestic talent and the importance of treating all top-order batters with equal respect.
“We obviously know the talent in the Indian domestic cricket. Last time we played, Radha made runs. Us as bowlers, me as captain, had to stay accountable to all the players. We need to speak evenly about all the top seven players. That’s what happens when a youngster comes in and makes an impact.”
However, Gardner broke through in the 10th over, trapping Mandhana in front for 26 off 23 balls. Naik continued to anchor the innings with maturity and control. Alongside Richa Ghosh, she added a crucial 69-run stand for the fourth wicket. Naik reached her maiden WPL half-century off 42 balls and went on to score 73 off 55 deliveries. Richa contributed a quick 27 off 20, while late efforts from Radha Yadav (17 off 8) and Shreyanka Patil (8* off 2) helped lift RCB to a solid 178/6.
Explaining her tactical approach, the Giants skipper said the inconsistent bounce influenced her plans, backing herself as a favourable match-up against Smriti Mandhana by tempting her to go across the line.
“We knew that we had to utilise the wicket. The bounce was not necessarily true. The bounce wasn’t consistent. I’m a decent match-up against Smriti. Just asking her to go across the line, knowing that she is a good square of the wicket.”
–IANS
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